Local drone parts making urged

[Anchor]

Drones, which are expanding their fields of application, are also demonstrating their power in warfare.

As the importance of drones continues to grow, there is significant concern about the high dependence on Chinese products, leading to discussions about the localization of the drone industry.

This is Hwang Jin-woo reporting from Tokyo.

[Report]

The Ukrainian drone unit's response to Russian airstrikes has dramatically changed the course of the war.

Russia counterattacks using drones.

The value of drones, which enable covert operations and yield hundreds of times the effect at a low cost, is being proven first and foremost on the battlefield.

It's not just in the defense sector.

Drones have already established a presence in various fields that are difficult to manage with human effort.

At a drone exhibition held in Japan for three days, cases of drone applications combined with AI technology captured attention.

[Moon Kyung-hwa/Drone manufacturing company for bridge inspection: "When inspecting (bridges), it can fly automatically, and the results of the bridge inspection come out as an automatic report using AI..."]

However, the excessive dependence on Chinese products is a common concern among many countries.

There are worries about the potential for leaks of military secrets or information about key facilities, and the lack of alternative means if the supply chain for parts is cut off.

This is the reason the United States is regulating the use of Chinese drones.

Our government is also accelerating the localization of the drone industry while monitoring global trends.

[Kim Gi-hoon/Director of Advanced Aviation at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: "Our goal is to produce all core drone components, such as FC (flight control components), motors, and batteries, and to expand into overseas markets."]

If the localization of parts is successful, it is expected that targeting other global markets that wish to reduce their dependence on China will also be possible.

This is Hwang Jin-woo from KBS News in Tokyo.